Ship project history: Ship was ordered as "Ersatz Drache" as replacement to a gunnery training ship
Drache built
in 1908 and was intended for artillerymen training. It was originally supposed to create the ship in
destroyer sizes, capable to serve as fleet scout or leader for torpedo boat flotillas, for what torpedo armament and seaplane were planned. Subsequently it have refused, but
ship received possibility to carry large quantity of mines, therefore sometimes
she is classified as a minelayer. Besides 192 crew members Bremse took aboard 90 cadets.

Experimental machinery represented moderated variant of used on Deutschland class pocket battleships, for purpose of check
of used technical decisions. Eight 8-cylinder non-supercharged two-stroke MAN dieselsworked on two shafts. Artillery arrangement repeated applied on Bremse
class cruisers-minelayers of the First World War period. AA armament under the project consisted from 2 20mm and 4 37mm
guns, but latter were never installed. Originally Bremse had a heavy foremast with massive
rangefinder top, in 1932 for decrease of the top weight it have replaced by
light pole mast.

Modernizations: 1939: + 6 x 1 - 20/65 C/30

Naval service: Bremse operated mainly at
Norwegian coast. 21/4/1940 she was damaged as a result of navigating accident in Hardanger Fjord, 9/5/1940
she was damaged in dock in Bergen by British aircraft and was under repair till
October, 2/12/1940 she was damaged as a result of navigating accident and
repaired till June, 1941. 6/9/1941 Bremse was lost in battle against British
cruisers Nigeria and Aurora in Tana
Fjord.